iClone Science Fiction Movie Director

Q: Endless Space looks like quite an undertaking and the trailer takes us through some epic clips. Can you tell us about the movie's story?

"Endless Space" is a film that has been evolving in my head for a long time. It is about a species that are on the very cusp of extinction, they are...'The Ariv'. They were a feared race because of there unique skills, and therefore hunted relentlessly throughout time. The time of peace is over and The Ariv's skills are needed to save the galaxy.

"Endless Space", will be action loaded and full of pure excitement. The story will have all the classical elements of a sci-fi action adventure and there are strong ethical themes for the viewers to contemplate.

The film will have more key characters; it is hard to now reveal more on the plot of the story. So at the moment, I can only say so much.

Q: The space scenes and battle clips have some nice ships. Can you talk about how you acquired your 3D models and discuss the time it took to put those scenes together. How did iClone help with saving time in putting these together?

If I aquire a ship then it gets completly deconstructed and I then rebuild it to my precise specifications for the part in the film. This way it is possbile to make many different kinds of ships out of just a few. It is a long process until the ship is up to my standards to be used.

I buy my 3D models on different online plateforms, but mainly at DAZ. I need a long time to put the single scenes together. The more elements, the more time is needed and sometimes it takes a few weeks to complete. iClone saves me a lot of time, especially with rendering, when compaired to other 3D programs.

Q: The characters in Endless Space have a great look. Did you create them in iClone? What were some of the best tips you can give users about creating high-quality characters for iClone? Can you talk about working with DAZ content and share your thoughts about the DAZ to iClone pipeline?

I pay very much attention to the details of my characters. For example skin tone and texture, and that the armour and ships look used and functional. To create a character I start of with iClone and convert it with iClone 3DXchange. After that I erase the entire bone structure to work better with the character and then covert it back into iClone. Here begins the actual work -- I create the texture, armour etc. My key tip to everyone is to spend time, and attention to detail, as this is everything. Otherwise the characters don't develop charm and personality. Since iClone and DAZ work together, it has made many processes easier. Each program complements the other, and creates more working possibilities. I believe that the DAZ to iClone pipeline is one of the best tools.

Q: Endless Space showcases the real-time special effects available in iClone, like real-time HDR. How was your experience with the real-time VFX and what can you share about using those with your scenes.

HDR adds more depth to the scene. VFX is an absolute must have for any animation film. It is implemented very well in iClone. I use them in every scene of the 'Endless Space' trailers. You need to experiment a lot to get the desired effect. My ships propulsion starts with a "ball" which I add a light effect to and then I choose colour variations. This gets added to the desired object and then illuminated scene by scene.

Q: We noticed some use of Reallusion iClone content packs in the movie trailer. How did the Reallusion content help you and what packs did you find most useful?

The most useful packs for me are the Motion Packs. It makes it easier because it is complicated to make natural "human-like" movements, it brings a greater dynamic range.

Q: The trailer and story look great. Can we expect to see an Endless Space full-length movie or series in the works?

"Endless Space" will be an epic full length film. It takes the viewer into another world of unique characters each with there own individual hardships that have led them to a point in time where they unite together for peace in the..... "Endless Space".

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